Pioneer writes: Here’s a link to the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, interviewing Peter Jackson on Radio Live yesterday. New Zealand politics is really exciting!!! More..
Category: Peter Jackson
Highlights from the Otago Daily Times’ report on the Hobbit casting call that took place yesterday (Sunday 26th September 2011) at Oamaru, NZ:
Hundreds of people of all ages, shapes and sizes came to Oamaru yesterday in a bid to be part of The Hobbit movie being filmed by Peter Jackson… to be one of about 200 extras needed for filming scenes in the Twizel-Lake Pukaki area during November and December.
The casting call was also for “towns people” – men and women aged 30 to 80 years with character faces and men with beards. All shapes, sizes and ethnicities were welcome. That brought out some real characters, especially men of all shapes, sizes and colours of beards, some unkempt through to others plaited and trimmed. Some women dressed in Victorian clothes to enhance their chances of being selected.
They were warned the work was intermittent and often last-minute, work days were “long, changeable” and “patience and flexibility” was essential.
Read the full report at odt.co.nz.
And if you haven’t already joined our message boards, now’s as good a time as any.
Paradise, near Glenorchy was used for parts of Lothlorien as well as Parth Galen and Amon Hen at Lake Wakatipu.
From: stuff.co.nz comes this update
The Hobbit director Sir Peter Jackson’s production company, 3Foot 7 Ltd, is seeking resource consent for temporary filming activity and helicopter landings at Paradise, near Glenorchy, Tucker Beach and Queenstown Hill.
A land use application to Lakes Environmental says filming, which will involve more than 200 people, will be primarily on Arcadia Station around its airstrip and nearby Paradise Trust land, mostly in mid-November.
There will be a “slow buildup” in film activity from October 3, with the busiest period being from November 14 until November 22, the application says.
Filming activity will be seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with the main operations running from about 5am until 10pm, it says. Filming would exceed seven days on the Arcadia Station airstrip and the Paradise Trust site only.
Arcadia would be the base for the main unit, with up to two large marquees on site for catering, makeup and support, including up to 20 large truck units and 20 caravans. Filming would begin on November 17 and end on November 21, with a site wrap on November 23. Three weeks had been allowed for full reinstatement work.
In 1998, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh bought The Film Unit, the only post-production facility in New Zealand capable of processing 35mm film. They needed to have access to such a facility in making The Lord of the Rings. In 2003, they moved the company from Lower Hutt to Miramar (only about a block from the Weta Ltd. headquarters). On January 1, 2005, it was renamed Park Road Post and later added “Production.”
According to the Dominion Post, Park Road Post Production is now expanding its presence by partnering with Film New Zealand to open an office in Los Angeles. Film New Zealand is the government agency that works to attract producters from other countries to bring their film projects to New Zealand. According to the story:
The two groups are partners in an initiative that will see Park Road Post Production marketing head Vicki Jackways, working for Film New Zealand as well when she heads to Los Angeles from 2012.
“We have been travelling to LA for years, but they have been quick trips. What we want to do is turn that on its head,” Park Road Post Production general manager Cameron Harland said.
The past decade or so has seen a growing competition among countries to lure filmmakers from abroad, with financial incentives and the creation of sophisticated post-production facilities. Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia already have representatives in Los Angeles. But New Zealand gained a high profile with the Lord of the Rings film and others, like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Avatar, and The Hobbit, that followed.
Jackways will head for Los Angeles in 2012, and the office will be open for a trial period of 18 months. As the Film New Zealand rep, she will also promote other film-related companies in the country.
TheOneRing.net, with major sponsor The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, is returning the Road! While DragonCon may be coming to a end today, the journey continues for our fellowship of drivers as they take the long road back from Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA. The road warriors will begin their trip at approximately Noon ET and will drive straight through over the next few days, stopping along the way to meet up with fans and see some famous places. So while we had occasional non-live elements to DragonCon, we will be back to our LIVE as much as humanly possible for the remainder of the trip. If you have not been following the news, we are on a multi-day road trip to (and from!) DragonCon and, for the first time ever, broadcasting the entire trip 24/7 LIVE via Stickam.com. You can interact with the travelers in our Barliman’s chat, as well through twitter and Facebook. And of course, you can email them atroadtrip@theonering.net. And even better, we’ve set up a special phone number so you can call and text our travelers: 970-210-6130. We have a special sub site set up to follow their progress – just follow the link. [LIVE] And don’t’ forget to support our sponsors: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Badali Jewelry and Anglotopia! [Roadtrip to DragonCon Sub Site] [Support the Trip – T-Shirts]
ATLANTA – In less than an hour, the road team at TheOneRing.net will present a panel for the crowds at DragonCon but the good news for the home audience is that the entire event will be carried live online. Those wishing to participate in the question portion of the event can text in questions at 970-210-6130. We can’t promise to take them all but we would love to have the home group participate with the live audience.